Landing wheel structure for aircraft



Jan. 5, 1954 1.. w. CLOVER 2,665,087

LANDING WHEEL. STRUCTURE FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 2, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. LEO/M490 M (lax 2 ATTOE/VEV Jan. 5, 1954 w. CLOVER 2,665,087

LANDING WHEEL STRUCTURE FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 2, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. R" Law/20 M Clot/2 Jan. 5, 1954 w. CLOVER 2,665,037

LANDING WHEEL STRUCTURE FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 2, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. Lao/men M CL 01/192 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 19 54 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE LANDING WHEEL STRUCTURE FOR AIRCRAFT The present invention relates to landing wheels for aircraft and is concerned more particularly with a landing wheel which when moved from retracted to landing position is automatically brought up to the desired landing speed to avoid excessive wear on tires and also which has auxiliary brake means for slowing down the aircraft after landing together with means for cooling the wheel during the braking operation.

The landing wheel of the instant invention is designed to utilize the air velocity against which the aircraft is moving to effect acceleration of the landing wheel or wheels to the desired speed in relation to the speed of the aircraft in landing so as to avoid shock and skidding of the tires when contacting the earth upon landing. The landing wheel construction is such that the mechanism for accomplishing the above object folds away with the landing wheel in the retracted position thereof. The wheel is also pro vided with a fluid brake mechanism for slowing down the aircraft after the wheels contact the earth, applied under control of the pilot or from the cockpit. In connection with the braking of the aircraft, cooling of the wheel is provided through the same parts utilized for wheel acceleration.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a landing wheel embodying the instant invention.

Figure 2 is a detail. view taken as indicated by the line 22 in Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 33 in Figure 1.

Figure 3A is a fragmentary enlarged view of the governor mechanism.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the connection and operation of the air vent openings in response to the opening of the landing wheel from retracted position.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the invention as embodied in a landing wheel of the single tire type.

Figure 6 shows the invention as embodied in a double wheel landing unit for heavier aircraft.

Referring to Figures 1, 3, and 4, there is shown a landing wheel construction of the retractible type including a wheel structure ID carried by a landing wheel mounting strut I I, which is pivotally carried in the usual manner by a support shaft 12 on the frame structure of the aircraft, and has a control arm l3 connected thereto in 2 the usual manner. The wheel structure H; in cludes an integrally formed hub it which is journaled by respective bearings I! on a stub axle l8 in the usual fashion. At one end the ;.;hub It has outwardly extending spokes Mia and at the other end a spoke structure in the form of a shell Ifib. Both of the spoke structures [6a. and I61) terminate ina rim structure I9 in which the tire 2| is held in the usual fashion. The stub axle It has an end. flange 22 which is connected by suitable bolts 23 to a supporting flange 24 of the support strut H.

To provide a fluid brake structure for the wheel the shell lBb of the spoke structure has bolted ;;thereto a housing shell 26. Suitable fins 2? are formed within the shell it while the shell 28 houses a floating fin structure 28 which is perforated as at 29. The fin structure 23 is carried by a hub 3i having a portion journaled about the Zlyicylindrical extension 32 of the hub 55 of the 401 inwardly and engage the stationary jaw clutch wheel and sealed with respect thereto by respective seals 33. The outer portion of the hub 31 is journaled within the shell 26, and is sealed with respect thereto by suitable seals 3:3. The

outer face of the hub 3| is formed with a series of clutch teeth 36 for cooperation with a clutch member 3'! of the jaw type slidably and nonrotatively mounted by means of a spline connection 38 on the stub axle it. The clutch menu :ber 37 is controlled for end-wise movement on the axle [8 by means of conventional hydraulic cylinder devices M, having plunger-s 52 connected to the member 31 of the jaw clutch. The hydraulic cylinders 4! are of conventional con- :struction and are each connected by respective sets of tubes 43 with a suitable valve control means in the cockpit of the aircraft. When the pilot desires to apply the fluid brake the cylinders 4| are operated so that their plungers move 37, with the previously freely rotating jaw clutch member 36. In this way the fins 28, are held stationary with respect to the fins 2'! of the wheel to perform a braking function.

As previously explained, the landing wheel structure isalso provided with air means for cooling the brake mechanism of the wheel as well as providing for automatically controlled acceleration to and rotation of the wheel at a desired speed corresponding to the landing speed of the aircraft. For this purpose the rim structure is (Figure 3) is provided around one side thereof with a series of vanes 46 which are in heat conducting relationship with the rim I9 and the brake drum 4'! of the conventional mechanical brake structure 48. To provide a controlled flow of air to the vanes 45, an air scoop is provided opening inside of a cover plate 50. The scoop includes an end section immediately adjacent to the vanes 48 and a top section 53. The scoop section 53 flares outwardly at its upper end to provide a forwardly facing opening controlled by a pair of doors 54. The section 53 iscarried by a clamping bracket. 52. on the flange 24, and supports the end section 5|.

Each door 54 (Figures 1 and 4) is hinged at 56,

and the doors are connected by intermeshing SGg-x mental gears 58 carried thereon. One of .the

doors is provided with a pin 59,"engaged by a slotted arm 55 pivoted at the top of the scoop housing 53, and connected to a flexible'shaft Gl:

At its upper end the shaft 5! isconnected to a bevel gear t2 mounted in a bracket 63, and this bevel gear 62, meshes with a bevel gear ebona transverse shaft .36 carried by the bracket 53.

The shaft 35 carriesa spur gear 6'! which'meshesr with' asegmental gear 53 on the pivotsupport In thismanner when the landing wheel is moved from' shaft [7. for the landing wheel structure.

retracted to landing position the gear Blis'rotated in the direction of the arrow 'H' in Figure 3, which in turn rotates the flexible shaft'in the direction of-the arrow 2, so that the arm 59","

which drives the doors 54,is moved in the directionof the arrow 13 to the open positionshown in the Figures 1 and 4. Also when the wheels are retracted an opposite movement occurs so that the doors 5% are closed.

It is seen that the scoop53 forms a structure providing for high velocity flow 'of air against vanes 46, and this flow of air is controlled to provide the desired speed of rotation of the landing wheel for the landing speed of the aircraft. For this purpose a slidable gate 8| (Figure 2) is mounted in a flanged joint 82 of the two scoop sections 5! and 53, and the gate 3| is connected by an extension Bl'a to a conventional form of fly wheel governor 8384 (Figures 2 and 3). At its lower end the governor 8384 is provided with a friction wheel 85 engaging the annular side surface of the hub 34, being spring-urged thereagainst by means of a compression spring 81 seated between the flange 22 and a flange 88 of the housing 89. As seen in Figure 3A, the friction wheel 86 is journaled by a suitable bearing in a housing 89 which is connected by a flexible sleeve 9! with the governor housing. Also the wheel 36 has its shaft connected by a universal joint 92' with the stationary drive shaft 93' of the governor.

The governor is of conventional form in its" essential elements and includes conventional ball elements 94 which operate the sleeve 35 against the influence of the spring 96.

the air passage means is opened to its full extent As seen in Figure." 2, the sleeve at its upper end has journaled theree.

4 by the governor. It will be noted that because of the mounting of the friction wheel 86 and the influence of the spring 81, wear does not affect the operation.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is capable of variation and modification so that its proper scope should be had by reference to the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a landing Wheel structure for aircraft, a wheel support, a landing wheel journalled thereon'includinga tire-supporting rim, a series of substantially radially extending vanes on said rim, air passage means on said structure having an outletdirected toward and disposed adjacent saidvanes to effect impingement of air thereon and an inlet facing in the direction of travel of thaaircraft; a gate mounted in said air passage means for opening and closing movement with respectthereto, governor means mounted on said structure'and controlled bysaid wheel upon rotation thereof, and means operativeiy interconnecting the governor and said gate for controlling the rate of air flow through the passage inversely to the rate of wheel rotation.

2. In a landing wheel structure for aircraft, a wheel support, a landing wheel'journalled thereon including a tire-supporting rim, air passage means on-said structure having an outlet directed toward and disposed adjacent'saicl rim and an inlet facing in the direction of travel of the aircraft, a gate mounted in said air passage means for-opening and closing movement with respect thereto, governor means mounted on said structure and controlled by said wheel upon rotation thereof, and means operatively interconnecting the. governor and said gate for controlling the rate of air flow through the passage inversely to the rate of wheel rotation.

3. In a retractible landing wheel structure for aircraft, a Wheel-supporting strut mounted for movement between retracted and extended positions, an axle carried by said strut, a landing Wheelajournalled on said axle and having a rim carrying a-series of vanes, air passage means carried by said strut in fixed relation therewith having an inlet end facing in the direction of travel of the aircraft and having a discharge end fordirecting air against said vanes, a gate mounted in said air passage means for opening and closmg said air passage means, governor means driven by said wheel, and means operatively interconnecting the governor and said gate for c trolling the rate of air flow through the passa-ge in'versely to-the rate of wheel rotation.

LEONARD W. CLOVER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,014,339 Messier Sept. 10, 1935 2,365,125 Vickers Dec. 12, 1944 I 2,372,207 Kendrick Mar. 27, 19 .5 2,381,842 Schwend Aug. i, 1945 2,400,587 Livers May 21, 1946 2,466,568 Bean Apr. 5, 1949 2,594,202 Necchi Apr. 22, 1952 

